We’ve got a big one on the line.

We’ve got a big one on the line.
We should not be surprised; I tend to catch some big fish :). However, Jeff was a tiny baby, and I was about average. For some reason, I was dreaming of a little, little one. Not the case. In the world of fishing, Mattie is going to be a great catch!

Today we had a growth sonogram since our child has been a little “all over the place” as far as size/due date.

We have joked throughout the pregnancy that we could end up with some pretty interesting combinations since Jeff has such long legs, a short torso, and a little head; and I, on the other hand, have short legs, a long torso, and a huge head. Well, today we learned this little girl is her mother’s child. She has an above average head – over the 70th percentile (all to hold her above average IQ :)) – and legs a little on the short side. However, she is also her father’s child as she gave us a great shot of her picking her nose today.

We finally were able to see a 3D picture of her face! They have tried numerous times for a 3D sonogram, but Madeline has proved very stubborn avoiding the camera at all costs (definitely Jeff’s child). We thought we had missed our window of opportunity since after 36 weeks it becomes very difficult to take a decent 3D picture (the child is squished in such a small space). But, Mattie pulled through and gave one good look at the camera. It is not great, because her large head is squished and she is pushing her fist against her cheek, but we think it is pretty cute. We also saw a precious hand with all the digits, a tongue sticking out, practice breaths, and, as I mentioned, some healthy nose picking and pinching. She seems very interested in that part of her face.

We continue to be thrilled that Mattie is doing very well and grow more and more anxious for her arrival. Really, I can’t emphasize that enough – I’m ready for this child to inhabit a new area. And, I believe she, too, is anxious to relocate. She is a very aggressive kicker. I have not experienced a full hour without an intense ”break out” attempt in weeks. She is really trying to “bust out” of this joint. Jeff almost fell on the floor laughing today because she was pushing out almost 2 inches on one side of my belly. I don’t think it is so cute anymore – just uncomfortable. Unfortunately, at this point, I am not progressing at all and show no signs of labor. However, my child is measuring ahead of schedule, especially her head. She is officially full-term and measures an average of 39 weeks (her head pushes that number up :). I however, have gained very little weight or inches the last 8 weeks, so this kid is eating reserves and packed in tightly. I’m scheduled for an induction on 8/9/10 if she hasn’t made her grand entrance before. Right now she is estimated to weigh a little less than 7.5 lbs; so, we are most likely going to “reel in” an 8+ pounder.

Sorry for the long post and all the detail! We've been behind on providing folks a lot of info on the little one. We’ll keep you posted and hope to have another update next Tuesday.